God Answers Us In Various Ways

                                                       When The Door Slams

And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, "Father, if it is Your will, remove this cup from Me; Nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.           Luke 22:41-43 

        God answers our requests in various ways. He can say yes, no. or grow, depending on the request, the circumstances, and how it fits in His overall plan. When God chooses to answer yes, most of us are overjoyed. However if He chooses to say no or grow, our reaction may be quite different. It is easy to interpret a no response as He does not really care or maybe He didn't really understand what I asked for.

    In this passage, Jesus asked if He could forego having to drink the cup of death and be placed on the cross. God's answer to His Son was no. God the Father knew Jesus had to die to take our place, so we wouldn't have to pay for our own failures and sins.

    However, notice the next verse. When God said no, He sent an angel to strengthen Jesus. When God says no, He has a reason, but He also desires to be supportive. 

        Think about this: The angels God sends to us often come in the from of another person who can help to sustain us. "Angels can be found in a Christian Twelve Step group, in therapy or support groups. Sometimes the "angel" is a family member or close friend. Sometimes it is also our guardian angel. 

May God grant me the serenity and courage not to fear His answer to my prayers but help me to grow when confronted with a "no."        

Ask the Spirit to search your heart and reveal any areas of unconfessed sin.                                             Acknowledge these to the Lord and thank Him for His forgiveness.

                                                                               Never Rest Ministries